Since the introduction of the Apple iPad in April 2010, the number of computing devices known as computer tablets, or “tablets” has vastly increased. These devices typically consist of a touch screen that fronts a highly sophisticated, versatile, thin, and lightweight computer.
In some computing environments, for example, the display/tablet may have to be positioned to various angles and orientations with respect to the base (a resting surface) in order to, for example, eliminate glare or to enter data via a virtual, on-screen, keyboard. Furthermore, with the advent of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet in early 2012 and the Microsoft Surface Pro tablet in early 2013—both of which incorporate a stylus—the display may not only need to be positioned to various angles and orientations with respect to the base, but it may also need to support the load and the pressure of a human hand pressing a stylus or finger against the display surface of the tablet at multiple viewing angles, both for ergonomic reasons and to eliminate distracting reflections or glare.
The multitude of offerings from several manufacturers of tablets and tablet accessories reveals that the great majority of current tablet stands, folios, and covers provide either fixed or limited adjustability; typically resulting in either one or two display angles (with respect to a resting surface or base).
A company that currently offers a display stand or a tablet accessory with more than two display angles is ZeroChroma, LLC (http://www.zerochroma.com) through their “Theater-Stand” smart cover for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (see US patent application numbers US20100072334, US20110031287, US20130134291). While the ZeroChroma, LLC designs provide multiple viewing angles that can effectively eliminate glare and provide an ergonomic viewing experience, they only provide for a single load bearing viewing angle that can support hand-writing with a stylus without potentially sliding the display during hand-writing.